RU In CTRL?

Over the past couple of weeks, I've had several circumstances roll through my life that I haven't had the power to control. I think about that button on the computer keyboard - Ctrl. The control button has the power to change the function of other keys, but I sure don't have power like that. As weak and helpless as I have felt lately, it shook me awake to some very concrete realizations.

You can't control what other people say.
You can't control the weather.
You can't control what God has already set in motion.
You can't control the actions of anyone other than yourself.
You can't control accidents that may come along.
You can't control people's reactions to what you do and say.
You can't control or prevent the evil that's in the world.

There are many things that will happen today, not by my own choosing. God's plan will happen as He has set it out and I have no control over that. I can guarantee that some of the people I cross paths with will say and do mean things, and I have no control over that. Things around the house may break or get lost or fall apart, and I have no control over that.

So what can we control? The only things that are left after we read the above list are our own words and actions.

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Proverbs 25:28

Do you have control of your spirit? Can you keep yourself from saying ugly things? Can you get up and face the day, even if the devil tells you it's not worth it? Can you make your walk match your talk? Can you read, study, learn and grown in God's Word so that you can handle each of those uncontrollable situations as they occur?

This is the reality of control. We get bent out of shape over something that wasn't in our control to begin with, and spend days beating ourselves up over something that was never in our power. How impractical and impossible to try to be in control of everything when it's not our responsibility.

The beauty of being a Christian woman is that we don't have to be in control. Turning over control of the important things for God to handle frees us to live every day for Him. How much time would you guess you've wasted worrying and fretting over circumstances in your life? When you're in that condition you are useless to God. He needs clean, pure, worthy vessels for His service.

By relinquishing control of all the little things in life, we break the chains of doubt, discouragement and sin. This releases us to focus on those things we can control, our actions and our words, and leave the rest up to God.

But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Psalm 59:16

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